(Pre-season 9)

If a better world was in reach for you, if you could reach someplace that was better if it meant leaving behind everything you've ever known, would you take that chance?

A new pony arrives in Ponyville, someone kind of odd, but nice enough. At the same time, Twilight's discovered a disturbance in the fabric of reality. But these two events couldn't possibly be connected...right?

Cover art created by NixWorld

HOLY SMOKES, I GOT FEATURED! (4/30/20) Thanks, everybody!
(And again on 5/4/20!)
(Again on 5/14/20)

Octavia Melody's love of music has revolved around a single influential and prestigious work of art, the song May Our Sun Shine Forever. Since she was a filly, what has been the Equestrian national anthem for generations has continually inspired Octavia to perform, shaping her into the promising cellist she is today. Though the completed original was lost to the passage of time, the remnants of the final masterpiece composed by the Grand Maestro Glissando has been the cornerstone of not only Octavia's career, but modern music theory in Equestria.

When the tattered remains of an ancient songbook possibly containing the original song in its entirety is found, the Equestrian Society for the Performing Arts and Princess Luna begin planning a concert series to celebrate the work's eventual restoration. However, their meeting screeches to a halt once Princess Celestia vehemently forbids anypony from playing the original in the concert and demands its restoration to cease immediately. Octavia Melody finds herself at a loss, wondering why the princess of the sun would silence such a beautiful song meant to bring light to the world.

Proofread and Edited by TheAncientPolitzanian and various others over the years of trying to fix this thing.
Cover Art Depressing Melody by TertonDA
Updated 02/27/24

For a long time, Twilight could feel it; a sense of emptiness she couldn't explain. Now that she's a princess, that feeling is stronger than ever. She finally decides to bring the matter up with Celestia. In response, Celestia gives her an old book.

The contents of that book will change her perspective of the world... and her beloved mentor. Just accepting the truth is a challenge. And after that?

She has to make a decision.

If you’re not watching PaulAsaran, let this convince you to. —PresentPerfect

An immeasurably well crafted, highly intense read. —Ghost Mike

First place winner of Rage Reviews! seventh F*** THIS PROMPT contest! So awesome.

Pre-read by JawJoe.

Cover art by Famosity.

Twilight has been struggling with her feelings for a certain pony lately, but when Rainbow Dash tells her friends a deep secret, Twilight is compelled to reveal her own, but sometimes you should wait a bit to say something so personal to somepony so fragile.

(Wow! I suck at summaries!)

Featured on Equestria Daily back when that meant something.

Celestia has banished her dear sister to the moon. She knows how long it'll take for her to be back, and she's prepared to wait. She's going to be there when Luna returns.

Until then, the years crawl by. Exactly one thousand, to be precise.

If only she could find the right words.

Yet another entry to the A Thousand Words Contest III. This one won Bronze in Drama!

This story is a sequel to A Place Among Her Kind

With her first E.U.P. squad formed and beyond expectations, Captain Fizzlepop Berrytwist now turns her attention to the wrongs she committed beyond Equestria. But as she offers to assist in Hippogriffia's reconstruction efforts, she finds that not everyone is convinced of her redemption.

Cover art by Doodle-Mark@DeviantArt.com

This story is a sequel to Hinterlands

Two years ago, bounty hunter Bitterroot turned a lich and her necromancer apprentice over to the authorities. Now, that apprentice, Amanita, has been released on good behavior. She has no more interest in necromancy. In fact, she asked Bitterroot to turn her in all those moons ago and helped capture her master. With nowhere for Amanita to go, Bitterroot takes her in until she can get her hooves under herself.

But all isn’t well in Canterlot. A killer is stalking the streets, striking with impunity and leaving no trace. The Royal Guard is befuddled. Bitterroot’s investigations have yielded nothing. And night is turning into a time of dread. Something needs to be done. If only the dead could speak. If only there was a moral necromancer around.

Amanita doesn’t want to admit it, but the part of her past she hates the most might be the most useful part right now. Just because ponies are dying doesn’t mean they need to stay that way. What she buried needs to be dug up again.

Her demons are rearing their ugly heads. It’s time to face them.

Now with a TV Tropes page. Reading the preceding story will provide some context for this, but isn't required. Cover art is modified from this image. Other entries in this series:

• Hinterlands
• Urban Wilds
• Death Valley

Rainbow Dash is a simple mare. She loves flying, she loves napping, but most importantly of all, she loves her friends. She loves her family. She loves the little tortoise who sleeps in the corner of her bedroom. She loves her town, she loves her country, she loves her world.

She's never thought about what she would do without it all. She's never thought about what she would do if she woke up one morning, only to discover that the world had passed her by. She's never thought about what she would be willing to do, how far she would be willing to go, to get it all back.

Featured 7/2/22 - 7/8/22

Spike's got three whole days to himself while Twilight is away at the Crystal Empire. Three whole days to be independent and free to do whatever he wants.

Or he would have, if a female dragon hadn't mistaken him for an abandoned hatchling. Now he's been snatched up and taken to her home to be "properly cared for."

Stuck in a cave with an overly-protective dragon intent on mothering him...maybe he should have just gone with Twilight.

Thanks to QueenCold for letting me use this picture of theirs as cover art!

Twilight Sparkle has been abandoned.

After an expedition into the badlands is torn to tatters by an unprecedented monster attack, Twilight finds herself stranded in a hostile environment with no safe way back home. With no supplies and no survival training, It all seems hopeless for the scholarly unicorn until she is discovered by a type of creature she has never seen before. A changeling named Thorax, a native of the badlands.

With Thorax's knowledge of the environment, he is Twilight's best chance of getting home safely. And by that same token, perhaps Twilight is the best chance the timid, pacifistic drone has of discovering something he has lived his entire life without.

Set well before the Season 2 Finale.

Cover art was drawn by me.

This is a spiritual successor to The Bug in The Herd, and The Bug in The Basement.

Edited by Mister Hypothetical.